Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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138 of 159 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
So generic it's uesless, October 7, 2004
Writer's Digest puts out a lot of great resources for writers. The magazine ain't one of them, however.
For starters about half of the magazine is ads - mostly for other Writer's Digest products. One you get past paying $19.95 a year for what's essentially a brochure, you'll notice that most of the articles don't apply to you. Most writers stick to one genre, yet the magazine focuses on all aspects of writing - fiction, poetry, business writing, editing, non-fiction, etc. If you're working on a biography of J. Edgar Hoover, do you need to look at an article on poetry in the stlye of ee cummings? I'll take "no" for $600, Alex.
So, now you're down to about 10 pages that might be relevant. Well, let's start chipping away at that:
The letters about grammar questions are a waste: if you have a question about affect versus effect, would you write to a magazine and wait a month or two or would you pick up your style guide and have an answer in less time than it took for you to read this sentence? Thought so. (Furthermore the idea that someone would write to a magazine with a question like that is so incredulous one has to wonder if the questions aren't just submitted by staff members in an attempt to fill space, like I used to do when I was the news editor at my college paper.)
Writer's Digest does review software and other technology that might be useful to writers. My favorite was when it reviewed Microsoft Word. Thanks - I'm sure most readers had no idea about the monopolistic word-processing program. To be fair, some of the reviews are useful, although you can get better information just by looking up the product on Amazon.com and reading the reviews there.
If you're going to Writer's Digest for market information, you'd be better served elsewhere: the annual Writer's Market publication has all the markets and is more thorough, whilst the Writer's Market website has all that information and is up-to-date. Your money would be better spent on those two products.
About the only articles I have found useful are the profiles on authors and how they have succeeded. There you have it: two or three pages an issue that are useful.
If you're trying to get your work published, Writer's Digest has several other products that are a better investment than its magazine: go with the annual Writer's Market book, the website, and pick up a style manual of your choosing (Chicago is the best). Don't waste your money on this magazine.
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40 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Helpful Magazine about the Craft of Writing (4.5 stars), February 14, 2004
"Writer's Digest" is a wonderful and informative magazine about the world of writing. It's a very helpful tool for those who are writers or for people who want to know more about the writing process itself. Filled with interviews, publishing markets, tips, pros and cons of the writing world, and much more, this proves to be a very interesting read.I've been getting the magazine for two years now, and it's very easy for me to say that I am pretty pleased with it. I find the interviews interesting and informative. I also like how they post certain markets that are accepting a variety of writing submissions (and they even list the criteria for them, as well). There are some ads for self publishing organizations for those who are curious about establishing themselves in the self-publishing world. The articles are very well written and straight to the point. If I could make a suggestion to "Writer's Digest," it'd be to include more writing excersises. I think this would be an extremely helpful addition to the magazine should they ever decide to take it under consideration. Other than that, I don't have too many complaints about this magazine, as I said in the beginning that I am pretty happy with the overall product. I highly recommend this magazine to those who are looking for tips and ways to improve their writing, as well as people who are curious to learn more about the craft. I assure you that the reading is not wasted time by any means. If you love writing and the world of writing, then this is something that you should really look into. "Writer's Digest" is a great tool filled with numerous sources of information. -Michael Crane
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35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Essential Writer's Tool, April 11, 2002
If you are a new writer, this is one publication well worth the investment. I started out, back in my college years, reading back issues in the library. then I got my own subscription, and that probably dates back to maybe 1978-79. I may have missed a year here or there, but I've enjoyed Writer's Digest (WD) for 20 plus years. Becoming a writer can be a daunting process with plenty of moments when you are ready to give up. If you're a subscriber to WD, then every month you get fresh ideas, techniques, tips and inspiration as well as plenty of leads on fresh markets where you can send your freelance writing, both fiction and non-fiction. It helped me to develop to confidence, skills and motivation to go on to sell articles to local Philly publications, then OMNI, Success, Family Health, the National Enquirer (medical and science, no gossip) and eventually, even wrote a cover article for.... you guessed it... Writer's Digest. Okay, so I have some bias. But it was this publication that gave me so much motivation. If you are getting started, or want to give a gift to someone who has shown potential or interest in being a Writer, this is a great publication. I don't think that most experienced writers will have read this far into this review because they all know about Writer's Digest. Yes they do have plenty of advertising. That's usually a sign of a strong publication. The one thing I'd like to see more of is openness to more freelance contributions, since recently, they've moved towards depending for a larger percentage of their content being provided by regular columnists. Since freelancing is so much a part of the entry process for writers, it would make sense for a publication for writers to walk the talk and support freelancers. On the other hand, WD has been around a long time and any business has a right to try out different strategies for success. I imagine the columnist approach allows for a more reliable and homogeneous content.
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